On behalf of the KAEA Executive Committee, I welcome you to the 2021 ASSA/KAEA meetings.   

Below is a summary of the exciting events we have organized. Please try your best to attend our events, especially the ASSA-KAEA sessions, among others. Your attendance in the ASSA-KAEA sessions is critical, since the AEA counts the number of attendants and uses it to determine the session slots we will be allotted in the future. Your attendance will secure and possibly increase the number of future KAEA sessions, which is very important for improving the standing of the KAEA in our profession.

I would also urge you to join the Maekyung (MK)-Forum featuring one of the currently serving FED presidents, Loretta J. Mester of the Cleveland FED, who will discuss on-going policy issues. Please plan to remain in the meeting room for our annual assembly which will immediately follow the MK forum. Join us to catch up, network and celebrate the achievements of our members.

Finally, I strongly suggest that you attend the KAEA Policy Forum as it is a unique opportunity to learn about the current state of the Korean economy directly from leaders of prestigious Korean policy research institutes.

All activities are virtual, and a summary of events with hyperlinks is provided below. Please note that all times are in US EST (Eastern Standard Time).

1. Three KAEA Sessions are organized, including one session jointly with the AEA.

Empirical Issues in Consumer Choices and Industrial Organization 

Sunday, January 3, 2021   10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (hosted by KAEA)

Econometrics of Network Models and Production Function Estimation 
Sunday, January 3, 2021   12:15 PM - 2:15 PM (hosted by KAEA)
COVID-19 and the Economy

Monday, January 4, 2021   10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (hosted by KAEA/AEA)

2. Maekyung (MK)-KAEA Forum (open to public) will take place from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM on January 4 (Monday). The speaker is Loretta J. Mester, President of Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.

3. KAEA Business Meeting will be from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM on January 4 right after the MK Forum.

4. KAEA Policy Forum "2021 Korea Economy: Issues and Solutions" will be from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM on January 5. Speakers are the presidents of three prominent Korean think-tanks: KDI, KIEP and KIET. This forum is not a part of the ASSA program, which means that it is public and open to anyone, including those who are not registered for the ASSA meetings.

In spite of the unprecedented challenges caused by the pandemic, we hope the new virtual platform will help our KAEA community continue its long standing tradition of exchanging ideas, collaboration, mentoring as well as policy debates and networking throughout the ASSA meetings.

I look forward to meeting all of you virtually at the 2021 ASSA meetings.

I wish all the best for the New Year and hope that 2021 is a much brighter and healthier year for everyone.

Yoosoon Chang

President, KAEA